Over the course of this season, Joe Faris would talk proudly about his daughters at home in Michigan. So, it was a little ironic that the designer was sent home during the show’s mother-daughter challenge. In fact, Faris, 41, admits he wasn’t pleased with his pinstriped suit, even though his client’s mother loved it. The self-described jeans and leather designer called from New York to discuss the challenge, why Kenley started laughing (again) on the runway and what it was like to show at Bryant Park – even if his collection won’t air on the finale. –Brian Orloff
When you first learned about the challenge, what did you think–especially since your models were “real women?”
I don’t make people over. That’s not my gig. And I don’t have clients. I do collaborate well. I think that came through [on past episodes]. . . . [But] I felt [my client] Laura, the daughter, let her mom create the look, and I knew she wasn’t really happy with it. And I wasn’t really happy with it either. At the end of the day, I knew the mother liked it because the minute she saw Laura, she started crying.
Did you just second guess your design?
I think I definitely took it too literally, and I think that was an issue with me throughout the series. I heard “business” and “enter the working world.” . . . To be honest, I don’t know business attire. If you told me what women wear in the workplace, I never look at that.
You seemed confident by what you created at least. Do you agree?
You had to stand by it. The had me on camera [on a previous episode saying], ‘This design truly represents me as a designer.’ I’m trying to push my own crap. If I don’t believe my own crap, how can I get anybody else to believe in my crap? And that’s what that is. It’s me psyching myself out. Last night I got caught. I got caught with putting some bad crap down the runway. I’ll be the first to admit it.
What did you make of Kenley laughing on the runway? She seems like she’s not there to make any friends.
Kenley laughing was definitely not appropriate. She just didn’t have regard or respect for anybody. She just was very combative. She was boastful of the arguments she would have with Heidi and how she felt she put Heidi in her place. We were all looking at each other like, ‘Are you nuts?’ She clearly could care less of what any of us thought of her.
Still, you got to show at Fashion Week for the finale with all six remaining designers. What was that experience like?
It was truly amazing, and knowing I wasn’t competing in the top three took some of the pressure off in that it allowed me to create the collection I truly wanted to create. I’m a jeans-and-leather designer. . . . And I took what I do, and I was incredibly proud of what I did.
Which designers’ collections were your favorites at Bryant Park?
I think Korto’s really was amazing and I think she showed versatility and range. I did like Leanne’s even though I did feel like it was a little one note. But it was sewn amazingly and the movement on the runway was amazing. I loved the poetry of that. And I liked Jerell’s too. Jerell and I, we stay in touch, so I wanted to see him succeed as well.
Tell us: Do you agree that Joe’s design was flawed? What do you think of Kenley?
Jay Sullivan/Bravo; Barbara Nitke/Bravo
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